Hungary's most expensive film ever set to roll

Bridgeman, at $5m, the biggest-budget Hungarian film of all time, is due to start shooting in the last week of May or the first week of June. The movie tells the life story of István Szechenyi, the 19th century Hungarian revolutionary.

The film had a planned budget of $6m (1.8 billion HUF), which was eventually reduced to $5m (1.5 billion HUF). The biggest part of the budget is provided by the Hungarian Cultural Ministry, but the project is also backed by the Hungarian Film Foundation, the Berlin-Brandenburg Film Foundation as well as the Austrian film foundation.

The film is produced by Mafilm, the oldest and largest Hungarian production company. Mafilm has already signed a co-operation contract with German Journal Film and is hoping to sign a similar agreement with Austrian Wega Film in April. Mafilm has also turned in a grant application to Eurimage for a total of $272,000 (FFr 2m)

Bridgeman will be directed by well-known Hungarian director Geza Beremenyi and will star one of the most popular Hungarian actors Károly Eperjes in the role of Szechenyi. The film is expected to be premiered in April 2OO2.

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